Police violence in the United States: None policeman will not be charged for the shooting against Jacob Blake (Archives) – Morry Gash / AP / SIPA
The police officers involved in the shootings having seriously injured African-American Jacob Blake in August in Kenosha , will not be prosecuted, announced Tuesday the prosecutor in charge of this case which had revived the antiracist anger to the
United States.
“No Kenosha agent will be charged (…) Based on the facts and the law, we have decided that no charges will be brought up, ”local prosecutor Michael Graveley said at a press conference.
The state of emergency declared
Anticipating this announcement, the municipal council declared a state of emergency in this town of 29. 000 inhabitants of the Great Lakes region and 310 members of the National Guard are ready to be deployed, should violence break out.
Jacob Blake, 25 years, was riddled with bullets on 17 August under the eyes of his three sons, while he was to take a seat in his car. Seriously injured, he lost the use of his legs.
The scene was filmed by a witness and the officers involved suspended from their duties.
Strong mobilization in the United States
The case caused three nights of riots in Kenosha and culminated on 25 August when a young man from 000 years old fired a semi-automatic rifle at three demonstrators, killing two. His arrest the next day brought a precarious calm to the city. This young man, Kyle Rittenhouse, was later released on bail of two million dollars. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty.
The file had led to a strong mobilization in the world of sport and on the political scene. Then presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden had gone there. The country has seen a historic movement of protest against racism and police violence since the death of George Floyd, an African-American suffocated by a white policeman on 25 May in Minneapolis.